India station as Mate in the Crocodile 26, Capt. Alex. Milne, was promoted to the rank of Lieutenant 23 Nov. 1841. In Feb. 1842 he was appointed Additional of the Alfred 50, bearing the broad pendant of Commodore John Brett Purvis in South America, where he removed, 15 June following, to the Fantome 16, Capt. Philip Geo. Haymes, and was further, from 1 Aug. 1843 until advanced to his present rank 9 Nov. 1846, employed in the Gorgon steam-ship, Capts. Sir Chas. Hotham and Edw. Crouch. In 1845 he took part in all the services performed under Sir C. Hotham in the river Parana, where he commanded the boats at the cutting-out of a schooner under a heavy fire from the enemy, and was the latter part of the time First-Lieutenant. Agents – Messrs. Halford and Co.
SMITH. (Commander, 1814.)
Robert Smith is son of the late Mr. Smith, Carpenter R.N.
This officer entered the Navy, in 1797, as Fst.-cl. Vol., on board the Ville de Paris 110, Capt. Geo. Grey, bearing the flag of Earl St. Vincent off Cadiz and in the Channel, where he continued employed for three or four years, the greater part of the time in the capacity of Midshipman. He served next at Plymouth and in the North Sea, until April, 1803, in the Amethyst 36, Capt. John Cooke; and, from the following Sept. until 1806, in the Mediterranean with his name on the books of the Excellent 74, Capt. Frank Sotheron. During the latter period he acted for three months as Lieutenant in the Intrepid 64, Capt. Hon. Philip Wodehouse. After he had again served for some months with Lord St. Vincent in the Hibernia 120, he was made Lieutenant, 24 Aug. 1807, into the Amaranthe 18, Capt. Edw. Pelham Brenton, which vessel, however, he never joined. His subsequent appointments were – 22 Jan. 1809, to the Magicienne 36, Capt. Lucius Curtis – 8 Dec. 1810, to the acting-command of the Astrea frigate, one of the prizes taken at the Isle of France – 30 April, 1811, after nearly five months of half-pay, to the Venerable 74, Capt. Sir Home Popham, in the Channel – 23 April, 1812 (having left the Venerable in the preceding Jan.), to the Christian VII. 80, Capt. Henry Lidgbird Ball, in the North Sea – and 24 May, 1813, as First, to the Eurotas of 46 guns and 320 men, Capt. John Phillimore. In the Magicienne he assisted at the reduction of the Ile de Bourbon in July, 1810, and took part in a variety of gallant but unfortunate operations, which, by 28 Aug. ensuing, terminated, after a loss to the Magicienne of 8 killed and 20 wounded, in the unavoidable self-destruction of that ship and the Sirius, the capture of the Néréide, and the surrender to a powerful French force of the Iphigenia, the last of a squadron of frigates originally under the orders of Commodore Sam. Pym, at the entrance of Port Sud-Est, Isle of France. Besides witnessing, in the Eurotas, the capture of the French frigate La Trave, Mr. Smith shared, 25 Feb. 1814, in a destructive action, which lasted for two hours and ten minutes, with La Clorinde, mounting 44 guns and 12 brass swivels, with a complement of 360 picked men, of whom 120 were killed and wounded, with a loss to the British of 20 killed and 40 wounded. The enemy’s ship then endeavoured to effect her escape. “I was at this time,” reports Capt. Phillimore, “so much exhausted by loss of blood, from wounds I had received in the early part of the action from a grape-shot, that I found it impossible for me to remain any longer upon deck. I was therefore under the painful necessity of desiring Lieut. Smith to take command of the quarter-deck, to clear the wreck of the foremast and mainmast, which then lay nearly fore and aft the deck, and to make sail after the enemy; but, at the same time, I had the satisfaction of reflecting that I had left the command in the hands of a most active and zealous officer.”[1] On the following day, while the Eurotas was fast gaining on the chase, two sail, to the mortification of every one on board, were perceived on the lee-bow. These proved to be H.M. ships Dryad and Achates, who, crossing the enemy before the Eurotas could get up, deprived the latter of the honour of having the colours hauled down to her. For his gallant conduct Mr. Smith was advanced, 4 March, 1814, to the rank he now holds. He has since been on half-pay. The Commander married, 26 June, 1818, a daughter of Mr. Seeds, a medical practitioner. His third son, Arthur, died 6 Oct. 1842, in his 20th year, on board the Hon.E.I.Co.’s steamer Medusa, in the Yang-tse-Kiang river.
SMITH. (Captain, 1825.)
Thomas Smith (a) died 19 Sept. 1847, at Louvain, in Belgium.
This officer entered the Navy, in 1800, as Fst.-Cl. Vol., on board the Nemesis 28, Capt. Thos. Baker, with whom, deducting some time passed during the peace of Amiens in the Thunderer 74, Capt. Wm. Bedford, he continued to serve in the Downs and Channel as Midshipman in the Phoebe 36 and Phoenix of 42 guns and 245 men until about 1805. He was present in the Nemesis, 25 July, 1800, in a smart conflict of 25 minutes, which terminated in the capture of the Danish frigate Freija; and in the Phoebe [errata 1], prior to sharing in Sir Rich. Strachan’s action, he assisted, 10 Aug. 1605, at the capture, after a memorable and furious conflict, in which the British lost 12 killed and 28 wounded, and the enemy 27 killed and 44 wounded, of La Didon of 46 guns and 330 men, a remarkably fine frigate, and the fastest sailer in the French Navy. Becoming attached, in Oct. 1806, to the Ajax 74, Capt. Hon. Henry Blackwood, Mr. Smith was in that ship when she took fire and was destroyed off’ the island of Tenedos 14 Feb. 1807. He was received in consequence on board the Pompée 74, bearing the flag of Sir Wm. Sidney Smith, under whom during the ensuing expedition to Constantinople he contributed to the destruction of a Turkish squadron and a formidable redoubt at Point Pesquies. He was made Lieutenant, 1 Sept. following, into the Hibernia 120, Capt. Chas. Marsh Schomberg; and was next, in March and Sept. 1808, appointed, on the Home station, to the Warspite 74, Capt. Hon. H. Blackwood, and Lyra sloop, Capt. Wm. Bevians. On 12 April, 1809, while in command of a boat belonging to the latter vessel and engaged in burning the enemy’s ships in Aix Roads, he was captured by two national luggers. He was detained a prisoner in France during the remainder of the war. Soon after his return to England he was advanced, 15 June, 1814, to the rank of Commander, and he was subsequently, from 6 May until 12 Aug. 1815, and from 1 Jan. 1817 until 1 March, 1819, employed in that capacity in the Pincher and Cherokee sloops on the Leith station. He did not afterwards go afloat. He was promoted to Post-rank 16 Aug. 1825. Agents – Holmes and Folkard.
SMITH. (Captain, 1841. f-p., 17; h-p., 31.)
Thomas Smith (b) was born 1 Feb. 1786, in Middlesex, and died 9 Jan. 1846, at Stoke, Plymouth. This officer entered the Navy, 10 July, 1798, as Fst.-cl. Vol., on board the Dragon 74, Capts. Geo. Campbell and Fred. Lewis Maitland, employed in the Channel, off Cadiz, and in the Mediterranean, where, from July, 1801, until Oct. 1802, he served as Midshipman (he had attained that rating 2 March, 1800) in the Camelion sloop, Capts. Lord Edw. O’Bryen and Jas. Hawes, and Carrère frigate, Capt. F. L. Maitland. Joining next, in Aug. 1804, the Adamant 50, Capt. Geo. Burlton, he assisted in the boats in the ensuing Oct. in the celebrated catamaran attack upon the Boulogne flotilla. After serving with Capt. Burlton in the North Sea in the same ship and in the Resolution 74, he was nominated, 1 Aug. 1807 and 13 May and 5 Nov. 1808, Acting-Lieutenant of the Agincourt 64, Capt. Henry Hill, Hound bomb, Capt. Nicholas Lockyer, and Agincourt again, Capts. Robt. Henderson and Wm. Kent. Under Capt. Hill he escorted convoy
- ↑ Vide Gaz. 1814, p. 481.
